1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to discovering common contacts among individuals, and more particularly, to facilitating that contact discovery via electronic mail communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's society, businesses and individuals alike prefer to associate with individuals whom they can trust. One way to establish trust between two parties who are unfamiliar with each other is to identify at least one third person who is a mutually trusted acquaintance of both parties, or a common contact. The identification of at least one common contact can immediately foster a sense of trust between the two parties, which in turn can facilitate the exchange of information necessary to develop stronger relationships. For example, by identifying at least one mutually trusted common contact, two formerly unacquainted coworkers can quickly discover shared interests and purposes which can promote collaboration. Similarly, two individuals who are introduced in a social context can immediately form a bond when they discover they share at least one trusted common contact.
Additionally, the discovery of common contacts can help to broaden one's business and social networks by providing a source for referrals and introductions. For example, businesses and organizations often discourage cold-calling. Therefore, an individual who is seeking an initial meeting with an organization can appear more trustworthy and legitimate if introduced or referred by a mutually trusted common contact shared by both the seeking individual and the organization. Similarly, in a social context, if individual “A” has an interest in interacting with individual “B”, ideally “A” should be introduced to individual “B” by a mutually trusted common contact. Alternatively, if the common contact cannot be physically present to make introductions, it can be less socially awkward for “A” to approach “B” with at least the knowledge that the two individuals share a common contact.
Unfortunately, many individuals not only remain unaware of the existence of common contacts, but most individuals lack an effective means of discovering common contacts. Presently, common contacts are discovered via face to face interaction and lengthy conversation; however, given time constraints in the workplace, and people's reluctance to initiate conversation with strangers, this approach is often untenable. Moreover, this method relies on the often inaccurate and limited mental recollections of individuals.
While recent technological advancements may improve one's ability to communicate with others, the same advancements have had an adverse impact on an individual's ability to discover common contacts. Given the popularization of the Internet and the World Wide Web, electronic mail has become, in many instances, the preferred medium for both business and personal communication. Yet, since electronic mail often precludes face to face interaction, and therefore the conversation required to discover common contacts, electronic mail correspondents often know each other only superficially. Hence, what is needed is a programmatic method for discovering common contacts between electronic mail correspondents in order to strengthen relationships, facilitate the broadening of business and social networks, and eliminate the limitations of imprecise human recollection.